Energy Dissipation and Entropy Production in Irreversible Processes of Dilute Systems

Abstract

Thermodynamical considerations are given on the diffusion of ideal gases, Sedimentation of dilute colloidal solution, dielectric anomalies of polar solution and intrinsic viscosity of macromolecule of non-spherical shape. In all these phenomena an important role is Played by differential equations of diffusion type which determine the distribution functions of molecules and the currents of the probability density. It is shown that the energy dissipation and the entropy increasing multiplied by absolute temperature are given by the works done by the external force and by the diffusion force respectivcly against the current of the probability density, and in particular the irreversible production of entropy multiplied by absolute temperature is given by the heat produced by the friction of the particles with the velocity equal to the current of the probability density. Finally, the theories by w. Kuhn and H. Kuhn and by one of the authors for the non-Newtonian viscosity of macromolecules are discussed and t...